A black-billed, black-legged colourless Chiffchaff for surprisingly early in the season. With its greyish-brown upperparts, pale ear-coverts and whitish underparts (including white undertail-coverts) this bird certainly proved immediately arresting amongst the accompanyingcollybita. In addition, it frequently uttered a monosyllabic 'cheeep' call, being reminiscent, although to my mind louder, than tristis. Such distinctive individuals are normally assigned to eastern populations of abietinus. Found unfortunately late in the day, the above image was obtained in the poor light of Belle Tout Wood, so fails to convey quite how distinctive this individual appeared in the field, although it is worth comparing its cold-toned plumage with a typical September collybita below: